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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stem — to come from
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. dip — to sink
  8. court — for sport
  9. spell — magic
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. spring — of water
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spring — a coil
  16. court — of law
  17. bass — low music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. court — of a king
  20. spring — the season
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com